Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 482
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IMMERSE
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MESSIAH
13:15–14:12
to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first
beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. He was then
permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue
of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.
He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—
to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could
buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the
beast or the number representing his name. Wisdom is needed here. Let
the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast,
for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.
Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000
who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And
I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the
rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing
together.
This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of
God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one
could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the
earth. They have kept themselves as pure as virgins, following the Lamb
wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on
the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb. They have told no
lies; they are without blame.
And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good
News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to
him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who
made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”
Then another angel followed him through the sky, shouting, “Babylon
is fallen—that great city is fallen—because she made all the nations of the
world drink the wine of her passionate immorality.”
Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the
beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the
hand must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength
into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The smoke of
their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or
night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted
the mark of his name.”
This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently,
obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.
